Chapter 57 Youth
After a satisfying meal, she stretched and looked around. Over the past few days, the traces of life had transformed this once cold and impersonal house into a "messy" yet vibrant space—a thin blanket casually draped over the sofa, half-eaten bags of snacks on the coffee table, shoes removed from the entryway… This lively, homey "mess" made her feel incredibly at ease and comfortable.
She knew Xie Shiyan had a cleaning service that came weekly, but they were only responsible for cleaning the common areas. The second-floor hallway, balcony, and especially the master bedroom and study, were his absolute no-go zones. On a whim, Jiang Yining found a brand-new vacuum cleaner, rags, and buckets, deciding to do a thorough cleaning.
Starting from the second floor, in the master bedroom, she changed the sheets and duvet cover, put away the newly washed and dried sheets of the same style, and carefully wiped every corner of the room, even cleaning the huge French windows until they were sparkling clean.
The study was filled with the scent of cedar wood and paper. She carefully organized the documents on the desk and brushed the dust off the hardcover books on the shelves. Then came the stairs, the living room, the kitchen… and finally the paving stones in the front yard and the gazebo in the backyard.
A few days ago, Xie Shiyan arranged for someone to build a wooden pavilion, under which a new bright yellow oval-shaped lazy rocking chair was placed, with a thick, cloud-soft cushion inside.
After a busy day until three or four in the afternoon, the entire two-and-a-half-story villa was completely transformed. Sunlight streamed in unobstructed through the clean glass windows, and the air was filled with the faint lemon scent of cleaning agents and the fragrance of flowers and plants.
Jiang Yining was so tired that her back ached. She took a nice hot shower, changed into comfortable loungewear, grabbed her tablet and a bag of snacks, and sank into the beanbag chair in the backyard gazebo.
A hilarious variety show was playing on the tablet, and Jiang Yining was having a blast watching it, bursting into infectious laughter that echoed throughout the quiet backyard and villa.
"Ding-dong—Ding-dong—"
The video doorbell on the villa's main gate suddenly rang. Jiang Yining's laughter stopped abruptly, and she picked up her phone in confusion to check the security camera screen. On the screen, Xiao Xiao was standing outside the ornate wrought iron gate, looking both helpless and amused.
Jiang Yining quickly tapped the remote door opening button on her phone app. The door slowly opened, and Xiao Xiao walked in. She immediately saw the wet, clearly freshly washed paving stones in the front yard, and Jiang Yining walking out of the backyard with snacks next to the villa.
"My goodness!" Xiao Xiao walked over quickly and playfully slapped her on the shoulder. "Such a big place, you're cleaning it all by yourself? Aren't you tired? Next time, just order a cleaning service from your phone."
Jiang Yining turned off the tap for changing the water in the small pool, shook the water droplets off her hands, and said, "It's okay. I just have some free time today, so I'm stretching my muscles. Once school starts in a few days, I'll be too busy to even move around."
She took Xiao Xiao's arm. "What brings you here?"
Xiao Xiao took her arm and led her towards the living room: "I'll come pick you up. I'll pick up my daughter first, then Nian'an and her son, and we'll go to kindergarten to register together. I figured you must be bored at home, so why don't we come along? It'll be a good opportunity for you to meet the two little ones."
Jiang Yining's eyes lit up. She had long been curious about Xiao Xiao and Shen Nian'an's child, and immediately nodded in agreement: "Okay, okay, wait for me, I'll change my clothes."
She quickly went upstairs, changed into a refreshing pale yellow floral dress, and loosely braided her long hair on the side, letting it fall over her shoulder. She looked youthful and full of energy.
Watching her run lightly down the stairs, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but sigh, "God is so unfair. We're only a few months apart, but you've become four years younger for no reason. Standing next to you, I feel like an old auntie."
Jiang Yining was amused by her, but a sense of melancholy washed over her. According to the actual passage of time, she should be 29 years old, and Xie Shiyan should be 30.
But this body is indeed 25 years old. Her gaze swept over the two other sleek luxury cars, a Lamborghini and a Bentley, parked quietly in the adjacent garage (Xie Shiyan's Maybach had driven away), and a tingling feeling rose within her: "How about... I drive?"
Xiao Xiao immediately gave her a "please spare me" look and waved her hands repeatedly: "No way, your driving skills... you should save your breath. Who was it that got nervous last time and mistook the accelerator for the brake, crashing into Ke Xiaxin's car?"
She took Jiang Yining's arm and walked towards her Rolls-Royce Phantom, saying, "Besides, with me, your experienced driver, here, you can just sit back and relax."
Jiang Yining reluctantly gave up, got into the passenger seat, and fastened her seatbelt: "By the way, why haven't we heard from Ke Xia lately?"
"She went abroad to discuss a collaborative project, and she probably won't be back for a few more days," Xiao Xiao said, starting the car and smoothly driving out of the villa area, merging into the traffic. She glanced at Jiang Yining and added.
"Oh, by the way, after Ayan takes you to school to register the day after tomorrow, he'll also be flying abroad, but it's not to the same place as Kexia, so don't overthink it." Her tone was a little teasing.
Jiang Yining chuckled, looking at the fleeting street scene outside the window: "What are you thinking? If he really had feelings for Ke Xia, I wouldn't be in this picture now."
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